Human rights education in US social work: Is the mandate reaching the field?

Abstract

Social work education in the United States takes place not only in classrooms but also in the many workplaces where students complete their mandatory internships. This practicum, known as “field education,” is social work’s “signature pedagogy.” Although efforts have been made to integrate human rights education (HRE) into US social work education and the Council on Social Work Education now mandates a human rights competency, little research has examined how and whether the HRE mandate is implemented in field education. This article examines the impact of HRE on social work field education by focusing on one state—Florida. For this study, we surveyed 158 Florida field educators about their human rights knowledge and practices and conducted telephone interviews with the staff members who coordinate student internships at six social work schools. The data paint a complex picture. Although strides to foster students’ ability to apply human rights understanding in field education have been made, sustained institutional support for integrating HRE in field is needed at the university and associational level. True integration of HRE into field education will only be achieved when all educators receive the support they need to become educated on social work as a human rights practice.

Notes

Acknowledgments

We thank the guest editors of the special issue of the journal, Glenn Mitoma and Sarita Cargas, and the anonymous reviewers of the article for their suggestions for revisions. We also thank Grace Felten, doctoral student in social work at the University of Connecticut, for her assistance in outreach to social work field education staff in Florida’s institutions of higher learning.

Notes

1 The focus on human rights-based social work practice has been gaining traction in recent years. For example, see Androff (2015), Berthold (2015), Libal and Harding (2015), McPherson (2015), Gatenio Gabel (2016), and Maschi, 2016.

2 Given that this research was largely carried out based on a program’s website content, the extent of integration in a number of programs not named by the report was not captured.

3 These are Springfield College, New York University, Columbia University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Fordham University, Rutgers University, University of Wisconsin, Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, and George Mason University.

4 These are University of Connecticut, Indiana University at Bloomington, Southern Connecticut State University, Catholic University of America, Monmouth University, Smith University, and University of Michigan.

5 This critique has also long been made of the integration of social justice in social work education and CSWE curricular mandates (Bonnycastle 2011).

6 SUNY Buffalo also runs an innovative podcast series known as “inSocialWork,” which includes a significant number of episodes on human rights and social justice. These podcasts provide a resource base not only for social work students nationwide but also for social work educators and field instructors to develop research or practitioner-informed understandings of a range of human rights issues in the United States. Interviews with practicing social workers and social work educators address an array of human rights concerns, including economic rights in the United States; building community capacity for promoting healing from trauma among refugees; social work’s role in addressing human trafficking; social workers for reproductive justice; “stand your ground” legislation and state-sponsored racism; torture and human rights; and Islamophobia and human rights.

7 See course descriptions at https://socialwork.buffalo.edu/about/trauma-informed-human-rights-perspective.html. [1 March 2019]

8 These include Barry University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Florida Memorial University, Florida State University, Saint Leo University, Southeastern University, St. Petersburg College, University of Central Florida, University of North Florida, University of South Florida, University of West Florida, and Warner University.

9 We have decided not to cite the field education and website data in this article because doing so may allow readers to identify programs we have left “unnamed” in the manuscript. In future, we will aim to examine a sampling of field education contracts and field evaluations forms to better understand national trends in reporting on the CSWE competencies related to human rights.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jane McPherson

Jane McPherson, PhD, LCSW, is director of global engagement and assistant professor at the University of Georgia’s School of Social Work.

Kathryn Libal

Kathryn Libal, PhD, is associate professor of social work and human rights at the University of Connecticut, where she also directs the Human Rights Institute.